L'Encombrant Mr. John

Only politically correct prigs and other humorless types will fail to enjoy this over-the-top farce. (Including some here, one of whom doesn't like "Michael" Myers, so consider the source.) The plot involves a dim U-2 pilot (Richard Crenna) who takes a wrong turn and lands in the oil-soaked desert domain of a zany sheik, a dippy journalist (Shirley MacLane) trapped in his harem, State Department bureaucrats, the Notre Dame football team, and other innocents who find themselves asea in the sand.

Everyone's insulted, so everyone should have a good time. Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau was classic, but Peter Ustinov's King Fawz is something else again. If you see "John Goldfarb" in your TV listings, gather your craziest crowd, pass the stash, and laugh away the evening on this crazy flick.

Richard Crenna plays a U-2 spy plane pilot too stupid to find Russia and who runs out of fuel and crashes in what must be Saudi Arabia.(This is vaguely reminiscent of the Francis Gary Powers story of several years earlier, although he ended up in Moskow). Shirley Maclaine ends up in a harem. Although frenetic and wild, this movie is filled with smarmy sex jokes, comedy on the level of a burlesque house, and offensive ethnic stereotypes; the Arabs are the only group that can still be insulted publicly. Peter Ustinov, always marvelous, was admittedly funny as the Arab king. I suppose this vulgar movie, ripped without mercy by critics at the time, will appeal to the same thirteen year-old boys who like the slob humor of Adam Sandler or Michael Myers, but for adults it's "no sale"! John Goldfarb DON'T come home!

"John Goldfarb, Please Come Home" just might be my all-time favorite movie. I first saw it when I was about 10 and made sure to check it out whenever it ran in those pre-cable days. As a middle-ager who picked up a MAD magazine/Stan Freberg-style sense of humor at age 6 and never outgrew it, "John Goldfarb" covered all the bases- whoops, this was a football movie! The great Peter Ustinov truly carried it as the goofy, model-train-obsessed sheik, and the closing football game was Marx Bros. quality. This one's got everything a fan of pre-"Saturday Night Live" satire can ask for, plus it had Shirley MacLaine before she went into orbit. A young John Williams did the funny score (including the Notre Dame fight song played belly-dancer style). I was just the right age to appreciate the presence of sitcom regulars like Crenna and Backus (I still love "Gilligan"). I'd give anything to find "John Goldfarb" on video. And the kicker? It was written by William Peter Blatty, who scared the daylights out of us with "The Exorcist" a decade later! I prefer this Blatty, thank you. "John Goldfarb, Please Come Home"- the perfect off-the-wall movie for MAD/ Freberg/"Gilligan"/Marx fans of all ages. If you know and love this picture, you're on my A-list for life!

Saw this years ago but saw it several times. Early sexy funny Shirley, hilarious Ustinov, Crenna when he was in top comedic form. Great fun. Maltin hated it so you know it had to have something going for it. Too bad it got trashed. Very offbeat & funny & appealing.

I was fortunate enough to see this movie recently for the first time.I could not understand why we had not seen it in the UK on tv since it's general release in 1965.Being a Shirley Maclaine fan,I was looking forward to it.Was I surprised!I found it highly amusing,often laugh out loud funny.Peter Ustinov is incredible in this.I think the director J.Lee Thompson is English,and maybe that's something Ustinov responded to.The scenes with the animals in particular,are outrageously funny.Being a Brit,I'm afraid to say I don't really understand American football,but in this movie you don't have to.Sit back for 90 minutes,suspend belief,if you can,think your way back to the 60's and just enjoy.My son who's into modern movies and the new stars,saw some of this and laughed out loud.It's wonderful,crazy fun and not to be taken seriously.John Goldfarb,Please Come Back.Soon.8/10